Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809-1852) is a classic of literature. Many of his works are included in the school curriculum, including 'Evenings on a farm near Dikanka' - amazing in its atmosphere and content of the story. It was after the publication of this collection that the writer was noticed in literary circles, and Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin noted the special poetry, gaiety and ease of the work. Mystical plots, colorful descriptions of everyday life have attracted not only readers, but also artists for decades. Magnificent illustrations by the honored worker of arts of the RSFSR Alexei Laptev perfectly complement Gogol's stories.